Police clearance certificate Dubai: fees and how to apply

Choose the certificate your recipient needs

As of November 2026, Dubai Police calls this service a Police Clearance Certificate, also commonly called a good conduct certificate. Its purpose is to provide a security and criminal-record certificate for an organisation that requests one. Start by asking that organisation what it will accept.

The Dubai Police service card covers citizens, residents, visitors and overseas applicants. An overseas applicant must have previously entered the UAE. If you have never visited, ask the requesting organisation and Dubai Police which evidence is appropriate before paying.

• Ask whether the certificate must come from Dubai Police or the federal Ministry of Interior.
• Confirm the receiving organisation’s name and the purpose of the request.
• Ask which language, issue date and submission format it accepts.
• For overseas use, ask whether attestation or translation is required.

Keep the recipient’s instructions with your application. For example, an immigration checklist may ask for a certificate covering your UAE residence, while an employer may name a particular issuing authority. Resolve that difference with the recipient rather than purchasing several certificates speculatively.

Dubai Police clearance certificate fees and timing

The Dubai Police service card lists these amounts. Check the applicant category and final total before paying. The base fee is separate from the published additions.

The card gives a completion time of five working days and certificate validity of three months from issuance. These are Dubai Police’s published service details. Ask the recipient whether it imposes a shorter acceptable age for the document.

Dubai Police states that paid fees are non-refundable. Check the purpose, identity and applicant category before proceeding. Do not interpret successful payment as approval of the certificate.

Budget separately for any translation, attestation or assistance you choose. If a representative gives you a package price, ask for the government charge and their own charge as separate items. Keep the official payment receipt, even when someone else submits the application.

Prepare your identity records and documents

Dubai Police permits an application using a valid or expired Emirates ID number. For an overseas application, its card lists a personal photo, passport copy and previous residence-visa copy. Keep the document versions that relate to your UAE stay available.

The UAE Government’s PCC guidance also describes identity documents, a photograph and a declaration about pending criminal convictions. Follow the issuing service’s actual checklist for your category, especially where its requirements are more specific than the general guidance.

Before you start, compare your passport name with the old UAE record. If your passport changed after you left, prepare both sets of details for an inquiry. Ask how to resolve a mismatch; do not alter a document image or invent an identifier to make the form accept it.

• Use clear copies in the format requested by the application.
• Check that the photograph meets the displayed requirements.
• Keep your former residence details and Emirates ID number together.
• Use contact details where you can receive application messages.
• Record the receiving organisation’s name exactly as instructed.

These preparation steps help you check the form; they are not a claim that every item must be uploaded in every case. If a field is unclear, get an explanation before submission. A correction is easier to address before you pay and before the document reaches its recipient.

Apply through Dubai Police’s official channels

The listed channels include the Dubai Police website and app, DubaiNow, Smart Police Stations and police stations. Start from the official certificate page or the service card linked above. If the page needs JavaScript, navigate through the official services menu.

1. Open Police Clearance Certificate. Confirm the heading before entering personal information.
2. Select your circumstances. Use the applicant category and location that accurately describe your case.
3. Review identity details. Match the passport and UAE records rather than relying on an auto-filled name.
4. Complete the purpose and recipient fields. Use the instructions from the organisation requesting the certificate.
5. Supply the requested evidence. Read any fingerprint instruction before assuming the online form is complete.
6. Check the total and submit. Retain the official reference, receipt and subsequent messages.

This sequence is a preparation guide, not a reproduction of every screen. Form labels can change. If the official page asks for additional information, follow that request or contact Dubai Police rather than skipping the field using an unrelated value.

SettleUAE does not receive applications or store identity documents. Keep the application reference privately. When following up, describe the exact service, submission date and response instead of sending a public screenshot containing your passport or Emirates ID.

Applying from outside the UAE and fingerprints

Dubai Police’s card says applicants without an Emirates ID must attend a listed service centre for fingerprints. For an applicant abroad without a ten-print fingerprint record, it requires a ten-print copy certified by the UAE Embassy. Ask Dubai Police how this applies to your existing record before arranging fingerprint appointments.

The UAE Government’s general overseas guidance describes obtaining a fingerprint card in your current country, having it attested by the UAE Embassy, and including it with identity documents and your previous UAE visa. Check the specific Dubai Police instructions alongside that general route.

Contact the relevant UAE mission through its official website to establish its document-certification arrangements. Do not assume every embassy accepts the same appointment, courier or submission method. Ask what the fingerprint document must contain and how the certified version should reach the issuing authority.

If your residence has expired, distinguish the old ID number used to locate your record from your present immigration position. Dubai Police’s acceptance of an expired ID number for this service does not renew the ID or establish permission to enter the UAE.

MOI’s federal certificate route for other emirates

For a federal route, including applications relating to other emirates, start with the Ministry of Interior services directory. It lists “Issuance of Criminal Clearance Certificate” and a separate certificate-inquiry service. The UAE Government also identifies the MOI website and MOI UAE app as application channels.

Check the live MOI application for its current categories, purpose and language options. Confirm these with the recipient before paying. The older application manual could not be read during this review, so its screen sequence is not reproduced here.

No current MOI certificate fee or processing promise is quoted here: its live service card did not expose readable details during this check. Use the amount shown in the official application. Do not transfer Dubai Police’s fee table or validity period to an MOI certificate.

If the recipient named MOI, ask before substituting a Dubai Police certificate. If it named Dubai Police, do the reverse check before using the federal route. Choosing the right issuer at the beginning can prevent an otherwise valid document being unsuitable for your submission.

Attestation, translation and overseas use

Issuing the certificate and attesting it are separate tasks. Ask the recipient whether it wants the electronic certificate alone, a translated version, attestation, or a further destination-country step. Get that instruction before ordering extra services.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs FAQ includes good-conduct certificates among individual affairs documents and lists AED 150 for individual-document attestation. That is the MoFA fee category, not an all-inclusive price for police issuance, delivery, translation or another authority’s service.

MoFA’s general requirements include an original document in English or Arabic, or an official translation, with prior authentication by the appropriate governing bodies. For an electronic police certificate, check the applicable digital attestation route and what the recipient accepts before arranging physical delivery.

The MOI directory separately lists MOFA attestation of MOI certificates. If that option appears in your request, review its own charge and instructions. Do not add a general MoFA amount to a combined transaction without checking whether attestation has already been included.

Check the issued certificate and resolve problems

When you receive the document, compare the name, identity details, issue date, purpose and receiving organisation with your application. Keep the original electronic file and receipt together. Ask the issuing authority about a correction before forwarding a document with an obvious mismatch.

If the application is delayed, distinguish an outstanding evidence request from an issued certificate awaiting retrieval. Use your original reference to ask what remains unresolved. Do not start another paid application simply because an email has not arrived.

Dubai Police lists eligibility restrictions concerning wanted status or a criminal record that prevents issuance. This guide cannot determine an individual result or explain a refusal without the authority’s decision. Request clarification through official channels; never pay someone promising a guaranteed clean certificate.

For a move, keep this task alongside your moving checklist. Check visa status and ID renewal separately when relevant. A clearance certificate does not complete those processes.

Official sources

• Dubai Police — Police Clearance Certificate service card — checked 2026-11-12
• Dubai Police — Certificate application landing page — checked 2026-11-12
• UAE Government — Justice services and PCC guidance — checked 2026-11-12
• Ministry of Interior — Official services directory — checked 2026-11-12
• Ministry of Foreign Affairs — Attestation FAQ — checked 2026-11-12